The Gravity of Us: Chapters 11–18

by Phil Stamper
When his father is selected to train for a NASA mission to Mars, 17-year-old Cal must move to Houston with his family and participate in a space-themed reality show called StarWatch. As he attempts to uncover secrets about the show and the space program, Cal also finds himself falling for a fellow "Astrokid."

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–18, Chapter 19–Epilogue
40 words 22 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. placard
    a sign posted in a public place
    We stand in front of a cracked door. The placard out front says Launch Demo Room IV, and I can feel excitement radiating from Leon’s body.
  2. strew
    spread by scattering
    Behind the door is a surprisingly large space, adorned with a couple of thin metal tables with MacBooks strewn about.
  3. hallowed
    worthy of religious veneration
    At the other side of the warehouse-like space is an open cockpit. There are two seats, one on each side, with a mess of panels and buttons from the ceiling to the floor. When we walk through the glass door that separates the two rooms and shut it, it feels like we’re on hallowed ground.
  4. dub
    give a nickname to
    We unveiled a new patch and logo for Project Orpheus, and in the style of the Mercury Seven, we’re dubbing this team the Orpheus Twenty.
  5. breach
    a failure to perform some promised act or obligation
    But we’ve looked into this, and he is technically not in breach of any StarWatch or NASA policies.
  6. laden
    filled with a great quantity
    We follow Donna’s instructions—which came in the form of a rushed, typo-laden text—and approach Brendan, the guy who helped us move into our new house.
  7. integral
    existing as an essential constituent or characteristic
    “I know it sounds strange, but Mars could be an integral part of Earth’s future, one way or another.”
  8. erratic
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
    We pace away, and I notice Donna’s a little more erratic than normal. She seems frazzled, her face flushed and hair disheveled.
  9. rekindle
    arouse again
    We saw it as a way to bring the country together. To rekindle that patriotism we’ve been missing in the past few years.
  10. bipartisan
    supported by both sides
    Our viewers might not know; it was one of the first truly bipartisan issues since the midterms—one that a very polarized Congress didn’t know how to act on, with the party lines looking jagged.
  11. polarize
    cause to divide into conflicting positions
    Our viewers might not know; it was one of the first truly bipartisan issues since the midterms—one that a very polarized Congress didn’t know how to act on, with the party lines looking jagged.
  12. devious
    indirect in departing from the accepted or proper way
    “Then let me ask the more devious question, Mark, but the one that’s most asked by our faithful viewers. We’ve been going back and forth on whether you or Grace Tucker would be taking the lead on Orpheus V. Well, now we’ve got another jet pilot in the ranks. Could Calvin Lewis Sr. be a threat?”
  13. hearsay
    gossip passed around by word of mouth
    It’s all hearsay on my page, though. I click through a few local news links that confirm the story and look up to see my mother in the hallway.
  14. smitten
    marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness
    Understanding washes over my mother as she sees this desperate, smitten side of me for the first time.
  15. scant
    less than the correct or legal or full amount
    It’s pitch black, save for the scant street or porch light, and I’m already sweating—but to be fair, half of it is from panic.
  16. mar
    cause to become imperfect
    Of course astronauts have died—jet crashes during training, the Apollo 1 fire, the Challenger disaster. Deaths have, at times, marred the history of American spaceflight.
  17. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    That’s what gets me out of bed, after this no-sleep night and the panic that still writhes through my bones.
  18. boisterous
    marked by exuberance and high spirits
    Aunt Tori had a no-nonsense attitude and a loud, boisterous personality. She was the opposite of Mom in so many ways—she’d walk into a grocery store, talk to everyone she passed, forget half the items on her grocery list, but come out with five new friends.
  19. subdued
    quieted and brought under control
    I’ve never seen her like this, I realize. Subdued, almost broken. She wrings her hands in front of her, pulling at her dress at random intervals.
  20. apathetic
    showing little or no emotion or animation
    When I turn, I see my mother’s soft but concerned face as she consoles Mara.
    Kiara finds the best angle for the camera to capture both of their faces, and it makes me feel a little sick. Sure, she seemed pretty apathetic before, but this is just heartless.
  21. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    The soft burning rage inside me bursts into flame. Seething, I step toward Mara.
  22. conspiratorial
    relating to or characteristic of a secret plot or agreement
    She shakes her head, then drops her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
  23. delirium
    a usually brief state of excitement and mental confusion
    The delirium from the lack of sleep juxtaposed with her straightforward humor makes my shoulders ease and my neck loosen from its spasm. I’m starting to think clearly.
  24. juxtaposed
    placed side by side often for comparison
    At this, I chuckle. The delirium from the lack of sleep juxtaposed with her straightforward humor makes my shoulders ease and my neck loosen from its spasm.
  25. tout
    advertise in strongly positive terms
    NASA is touting the sixties as this perfect era, but it wasn’t.
  26. chauvinism
    belief in the superiority of men over women
    The sixties are bright and shiny and white, and NASA actually thinks people liked these families because they were fabulous and perfect. These families reinforced the chauvinism and racism that marred the entire decade, with little exception.
  27. wallow
    devote oneself entirely to something
    Mrs. Bannon has moved back up to a chair, off from the wallowing spot on the floor where she started.
  28. appease
    cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
    “Not long,” I say to appease him, then flip my screen to the front-facing camera.
  29. permeate
    spread or diffuse through
    The others have joined us in the family room again, the smell of casserole permeates the air, and everyone’s leaning in to hear her story.
  30. lament
    regret strongly
    Because leaning against my dresser became too much of a hassle, I’ve moved my cassette deck to its new home on my bedside table, and I lament the fact that I haven’t gotten any new cassettes since moving here.
  31. antiquated
    so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
    “Really, it’s kind of an antiquated way of looking at relationships, if you think about it. Me being possessive over you? That’s toxic, right?”
  32. articulate
    characterized by clear expressive language
    Her words all mush together, and she’s not actually saying anything.
    Kat’s much more articulate, apparently, because Leon pulls the phone away from my ear.
  33. dovetail
    fit together tightly or easily
    Our families’ fates dovetail at this moment in more ways than one, and I hope they stay on the same path for a while.
  34. oppressive
    weighing heavily on the senses or spirit
    It’s like Brooklyn style transcends the oppressive early summer heat, even in Texas.
  35. profusely
    in very large amounts or quantities; extremely
    Okay, I know I complained about Texas humidity, and I apologize profusely, because Florida is a literal swamp.
  36. inherently
    in an essential manner
    “Okay, so I’ll just say it. Have you been with a person who made you feel worse? More alone? I just don’t want to be that guy, and I want to learn, but I’m inherently bad at doing the right thing when it comes to you and—”
  37. satiate
    fill to satisfaction
    It’s been a month since we first kissed, and already, my relationship morphed into a need that can’t be satiated.
  38. adversary
    someone who offers opposition
    For many years, privatized spaceflight groups like JET-EX were seen to be adversaries of NASA.
  39. nebulous
    lacking definite form or limits
    “Is it that competitive nature that drives this enthusiasm? Obviously in the sixties, Americans were focused on beating the Russians to the moon. Now the dream may be more nebulous, but there is still a great deal of competition. And it looks like you might be getting beat to Mars.”
  40. brash
    offensively bold
    No need to be brash about this.
Created on Wed Apr 01 16:08:44 EDT 2020 (updated Tue Apr 07 16:33:51 EDT 2020)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.